Ponte Molle, Monte Mario

Wilson’s view shows the famous Ponte Milvio/Ponte Molle—where Emperor Constantine defeated Maxentius—which would have particularly appealed to a British audience. When approaching Rome from the northeast down the Via Flaminia, travelers were afforded one of their earliest sights of the city, from the northern bank of the Tiber just before crossing the bridge, and Wilson shows the junction of the Via Flaminia with the Via Cassia, the road from Florence. He includes the dome of St. Peter’s and Castel Sant’Angelo prominently on the horizon, with Monte Mario framing the composition on the right.